Pole vault and high jump standard



Dec. 7, 1965 H. F. LANGTON POLE VAULT AND HIGH JUMP STANDARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April l2, 1962 1 E j m QN 7 ///////AM l r wm V QN mwN M .m \\w Q z u m a? W um...

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United States Patent 3,222,064 POLE VAUL'I AND HIGH JUMP STANDARD Harold F. Langton, 307 N. Main St., Pleasantville, NJ. Filed Apr. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 187,054 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-59) This invention relates to a standard for establishing a height for jumping and more particularly a height for a pole vault or a high jump.

A purpose of the invention is to automatically establish a height for jumping and to return the bar to the height after contact by a jumper.

A further purpose is to eliminate the need for a solid horizontal bar which is placed in position by hand.

A further purpose is to eliminate the pegs on an upright for the purpose of supporting a horizontal bar.

A further purpose is to prevent the bar from falling to the ground.

A further purpose is to indicate that the bar has been touched upon slightest contact with the bar.

A further purpose is to eliminate the sag in the middle of a horizontal bar.

A further purpose is to eliminate the need for measuring the height of the horizontal bar from the ground after each jump.

A further purpose is to eliminate the need` for painstakingly replacing the bar on the pegs of an upright every time the bar has been hit.

A further purpose is to eliminate the need for a forklift type of truck or any other elevator mechanism for replacing the horizontal bar on the uprights.

A further purpose is to hasten the speed with which a high jump is conducted.

A further purpose is to prevent the bar from being blown oit the peg supports by the Wind.

A further purpose is to indicate when the bar has been struck.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, selecting the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE l is an elevational view of the complete assembly of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial slightly enlarged elevational view of one side of the assembly of FIGURE 1 with the parts broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on line 6 6 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on line 7 7 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged section taken on line 8 8 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary section taken on line 9 9 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged elevational view of one base of an upright.

FIGURE l1 is a sectional view taken on line 11 11 ofVFIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 13 13 of FIGURE 10.

In the prior art in track and eld events, a standard 3,222,064 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 for establishing a height for jumping consists of two uprights with pegs spaced along the uprights for supporting a horizontal bar. The pegs are directed in a direction away from the approach of the runner so that if the runner cornes into contact with the bar, the bar normally falls off the pegs. Occasionally, the bar remains in place after contact so that the jump must be counted as a valid one, even though the jumper has not really cleared the set height.

Where the bar has been knocked to the ground the oicials have had to painstakingly replace the bar on the pegs. This has ofttimes taken a considerable amount of time in between jumps in view of the fact that the pole vault for instance is now being jumped at a height of 15 to 16 feet. Oicials have often used an operator riding the lift of a forklift truck in an attempt to speed up the event. Even so, the pole vault is ordinarily the rst to get started and the last to ,nish at the track and field meets, often running past the time when the remainder of the events are completed.

Furthermore, even where the bar has notbeen knocked from the uprights, the horizontal bar, which is supported at the regulation 16 feet Vspacing has to be measured after the jumper has cleared the bar, since a sag normally results from the bending moments created in the long span.

Furthermore, in many instances the wind blows the bar off the uprights without contact by any of the participants and this often happens just as the runner approaches the bar. This is enormously frustrating to a runner who is all primed physically and psychologically to make the jump.

Furthermore, there have been instances in the past where the jumper has knocked the bar off the uprights and has tangled with the bar on the way down with a resultant serious injury.

The present invention eliminates all these disadvantages and provides a vault or jump standard which is automatic in operation, accurate in indication, and perfectly safe to the jumper. In accordance with the invent-ion, a horizontal bar is cantilevered from each of the uprights and spring biased and pneumatically throttled to returnrto a standard position after contact by a participant. Furthermore, there is an indicator which simply and reliably indicates that the bar has been struck.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows the complete assembly. The complete assembly consists of two sub-assemblies 10 and 11 which are in contact at location 13. The sub-assemblies are practically identical in construction, except for the differences as later explained. One of the sub-assemblies will iirst be described, and then the dierences cited.

In the sub-assembly 10, there is a table or base support 2t) supporting an inner telescoping member 21. The base 20 as seen in FIGURES 10, 11 and 12 comprises four legs 22 having a ilat disc portion 23 and a perpendicular threaded stud portion 24. A travelling nut 25 adjustably secures a bed 26 to the legs 22. The bed 26 has thereon suitably attached or integral therewith tracks 27 supporting sled 28. Abutrnents 30 extend from sled 2S and have threads tapped therein. A screw 31 extendsjthrough an opening 32 in bed 26 and is suitably journalled in bed 26 Iby bearings 33 and 34. A hand crank 35 is keyed to screw 31 at 36. A bubble level 37 is fixed to sled 28 at 38. The track 27 has graduations 4t) on its upper surface suitably marked in inches or other linear units.

The inner telescoping upright 21 suitably square in cross section and of a hollow construction is tix-ed to sled 28 and extends normal thereto at location 41. The inner telescoping member 21 has markings 42 desirably in inches and marked accordingly. The inner upright member 21 can be of any suitable height as, for instance, 8 feet where a jump is made to 16 feet.

Surrounding the member 21 and of a similar cross section and telescoping therewith is an outer telescoping member 43. A locking clamp 44, best seen in FIGURE 13, comprises a collar 44' fixed to member 43 as by welding and having a tapped hole 4S. A thumb screw 46 carrying a set screw 47 has a point 48 which engages member 21 at any desired height. A knob 50 is attached to the member 43 at S1 to provide means for raising and lowering the member 43.

Near the top of member 43, pin 54 is xed to the upright and extends normal thereto. A cantilevered horizontal bar 55 and cantilever suspension housing 56 rest on pin 54 and are suspended from the top of member 43 in the following manner. The housing 56 has square tubular sections 58 and 58 which extend completely through the cylinder and square sections 58 and 58 are secured to the housing at 60 and 60' by welding or the like. The inner contour of these square sections 58 and 58 conform to the outer perimeter of upright 43 and are adapted to surround the upright 43 in a sliding relationship.

The horizontal bar 55 and housing 56 are best seen in FIGURES 4 land 5. The bar 55 is xed as by Welding at 65 to a disc 66. The disc 66 has integral radially extending tangs 67 circumferentially spaced about the disc. Rigidly connected to the end of the bar 55 at 68 is a universal coupling extension 70. A universal coupling 71 is connected to extension 70 and extension 72 extends to and through straddle strap 73 at opening 74. An enlarged head 75 prevents extension 72 from being drawn through opening 74.

Straddle strap 73 is suitably rectangular in form and extends around upright 43 when the housing 56 is in place on the upright 43. Straddle strap 73 has parallel extending portions 76 which unite with transverse portion 77 to form an enclosure which permits movement of the straddle strap 73 with respect to the member 43. Integral with and extending from strap 73 is piston arm 78. A piston 80 is attached to arm 78 by bolt 81 as shown. Piston 81 has one way valve 82 and throttling orifice 83 in the piston head. A suitable piston ring 84 surrounds the piston.

Surrounding the universal coupling 71, straddle strap 73, .piston 80, and piston rod 78, is housing cylinder 85. This housing cylinder comprises cylindrical portion 86, an open end at 87 and a closure cap 88 at the other end. An integral partition 90 extends across and divides the cylinder into longitudinal portions. Longitudinal slots 91 extend longitudinally in the cylindrical portion 86.

The cylindrical portion 86 has at its open end 87 tang receiving `slots 92 circumferentially spaced at positions corresponding to the circumferential positions of the tangs 67.` The bar 55 is assembled to the housing 56 by engaging the tangs 67 into the tang receiving slots 92 and then extending the universal coupling 71 and extension 72 into the interior of the cylinder. Abutments 93 on strap 73 extend into slots 91 and piston arm 78 extends through opening 90 in partition 90. A sealing ring 902 extends around the piston arm and is journalled in the partition 90.

A helically wound compression spring 96 surrounds piston arm 78 and bears at one end against partition 90 and the other end against the piston 80. The compartment 97 formed by piston 80, cylindrical portion 86 and partition 90 is filled with oil and will act on piston 80 as later explained.

Up to this point the base 20, member 21, member 43, housing 56 and horizontal bars 55 and 55 are exactly similar on both the sub-assemblies and 11 of the standard. The only difference that exists is that horizontal bar 55 has an indicating mechanism 100 and horizontal bar 55 does not. This indicating mechanism is in the form of a rod which is attached to a piston 101 which rides in the interior of bar 55. Bar 55 is shown constructed of'a triangular cr-oss section tube, but it should be understood that any cross section tube may be used. A helically wound compression spring 102 abuts at one end against the piston 101 and at the other end against iixed spring stop 103. A exible cord 104 extends from piston 101 through spring 102 through stop 103, through guide tube 105, through disc 66 and over fixed pulley wheel 106. The cord emerges from cylinder 56 at 107. A suitable handle 108 is formed at the end ofthe cord.

A further diierence between bars 5S and 55 is that 55' has at position 110 ya iixed plug 111.

In operation, the high jump of the invention is rst assembled by placing the base 20 of one of the uprights at a location and then placing another of the bases 20 at a position, for instance 16 feet away in the case of a pole vault standard, or at any other distance which is equal to the sum of the distances of the horizontal bars 55 and 55. The base is then leveled by means of bubble level 37 by raising and lowering the respective legs 22 to get an absolutely horizontal sled 28.

The housing 56 with square sections S8 and 58 are placed over the end of outer telescoping element 43 and allowed to descend until notch 54 in box structure 58 engages pin 54. The corresponding housing 56 on the companion standard is assembled in like manner. The horizontal bars 55 and 55 are then brought into alignment by the use of the screw 31 which upon being turned by crank 35 engages abutments 30 causing sled 28 to slide in tracks 27 to an alignment position. Horizontal travel of the sleds is gauged by the marks 40 along the track 27. The indicating rod 100 is withdrawn into the horizontal bar 55 by pulling on cord 104 at the end to retract the indicating rod 100 against the bias of spring 102 which is held by stop 103. When the indicator 100 is retracted the bars 55 and 55' are aligned and indicating rod 100 abuts against plug 111 on the end of horizontal bar 55', holding the rod in the bar 55.

The horizontal bars 55 and 55 are held in position by the action of the helical compression spring 96 in the cylinder. The spring exerts a force against piston at the end of piston arm 78 so that a force is exerted through straddle strap 73 on extension 72 and against disc 66. The force exerted by the helical spring is such as to draw the disc 66 into the housing 56. The disc is prevented from passing into the housing 56 by the tangs 67 which abut against the open end of the housing 56 at 87. The tangs 67 tit into the tang receiving slots 92 and rest therein. The spring 96 seats the tangs 67 against each tang receiving slots 92 so that the plane of the disc 66 is normal to the longitudinal axis of the housing 56. The housing 56 is perpendicular to the member 43 and hence the longitudinal axis of the housing S6 is in a horizontal plane. Thus, the bar 55 which projects normally to the plane of the disc 66 is also in a perpendicular plane when the tangs 67 are all seated in the tang receiving slots 92. The tangs 67 will always seat in the tang receiving slots 92 in the equilibrium position which is that position at which the disc 66 cornes to a position of rest under .the bias of the helical compression spring 96.

When the horizontal bar 55 and/or 55 is touched or struck, the bar will move in the direction of the force striking, and the disc 66 will be unseated from its equilibrium position. The disc will rotate on a pivot created by the two tangs which are opposite to the direction of force on the bar. The remaining tangs will leave their slots and the universal coupling 71 will transmit the pull exerted by the movement of the disc 66 out of the housing 56 through extension 72 to the straddle strap 73 and the piston arm 78 and piston 81. This will cause movement of the piston toward partition 90, causing the spring 96 to compress. Since the cylinder portion 97 is filled with oil, the oil will pass through one way valve 82 as the spring 96 is compressed. In this position, the horizontal bar 55 or 55 will be displaced from the horizontal, and the spring 96 will be compressed.

As soon as the bars 55 and 55' have been misaligned,

one with respect to the other, the restraining action of plug 111 no longer acts on indicating rod 100 and indicating rod 100 emerges from the end of bar 55 under the action of helical compression spring 102. This indicates that there has been contact with the bar 55 or the bar 55'.

The piston 80 is now urged away from partition 90 by the compressed helical spring 96, The one way valve prevents movement of oil back toward partition 90 and the oil is trapped between the cap 88 and the piston 80. This trapped oil prevents the spring 96 from slamming the piston 80 back into equilibrium position. The oil passes through orifice 83 and is throttled thereby so that the movement of the piston 80 back into equilibrium position is a slow one. The force exerted on the piston by spring 96 is transmitted through piston arm 78 and strap 73 to the disc 66 until the disc 66 is seated again in the equilibrium position with all the tangs 67 resting in all the tang receiving slots 92.

The extensions 93 ride in the slots 91 and prevent any rotation of the straddle strap 73 with respect to the cylinder.

The bars 55 and 55' are prevented from returning into the position of exact alignment, however, by the extension of the indicating rod 100. Thus any Contact with the bars 55 or 55 is recorded even though there may not be substantial displacement of the bars from their equilibrium position in the horizontal. When it is desired to finally align the bars, it is only necessary to pull on cord 104 to withdraw the indicating rod 100 wholly within bar 55 until the bar springs into alignment with bar 55. Tension on cord 104 is then released and rod 100 is prevented from extending out of the end by the plug 111. The standard is now ready for another jump.

The vertical height of the standard is adjusted by releasing clamp 44 and sliding outer telescoping element 43 over innertelescoping element 21 with the aid of raising and lowering knob 50 until the desired height is reached. This height is measured by the indications on the inner bar 21. When the desired height is established, clamp 44 is tightened to fix the outer element 43 with respect to the inner elemet 21, thus establishing the height of the horizontal bar 55.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pole vault or high jump standard, an upright, a horizontal member supported by said upright comprising an arm, disc means on said arm, tangs extending from said disc means, a piston rod and piston pivotally attached to said disc means, a cylinder having slots normally receiving said tangs and a cylinder opening, said piston and rod slidably disposed in said cylinder, and a helical spring biasing said piston away from said cylinder opening.

2. A pole vault and high jump assembly having a first vertical upright; a first horizontal bar cantilevered from said first upright; a second vertical upright; a second horizontal bar cantilevered from said second upright; adjusting means on said first and second vertical uprights for aligning said first horizontal bar in abutting relationship with said second horizontal bar one disc means on each of said horizontal bars; tangs extending from said disc means; one housing means slidably positioned on each of said vertical uprights, said housing means having slots therein normally receiving said tangs and having an opening at one end thereof normally receiving said disc means; one piston means being connected to each of said disc means and being extended into each of said housing means; one helical spring means surrounding each of said piston means for biasing said piston means away from the open end of said housing means; one universal coupling means attached between each of said piston means and each of said disc means for transmitting pivotal movement of a said horizontal bar into displacement of said piston means toward the open end of said housing means; one pneumatic means located in each of said housing means at the closed end thereof for throttling the return of the piston means to position; a rod located in one of said horizontal bars; abutment means in the other of said horizontal bars for holding said rod in a retracted position; spring means connected to said rod for extending said rod from said horizontal bar when the piston means are caused to be displaced toward the open end of said housing whereby misalignrnent of either of said horizontal bars with respect to each other is indicated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,142 8/ 1909 Kimmel 272-59 1,737,108 11/1929 Craig 272-59 1,928,280 9/ 1933 Barron 27259 2,010,299 8/ 1935 Gray 45-139 2,23 6,935 4/ 1941 Cameron 272-59 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,353 4/ 1900 Austria. 7,605 11/ 1893 France. 466,935 3/ 1913 France. 174,832 9/ 1906 Germany.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner, lJAMES W. LOVE, Examiner, 

1. IN A POLE VAULT OR HIGH JUMP STANDARD, AN UPRIGHT A HORIZONTAL MEMBER SUPPORTED BY SAID UPRIGHT COMPRISING AN ARM, DISC MEANS ON SAID ARM, TANGS EXTENDING FROM SAID DISC MEANS, A PISTON ROD AND PISTON PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID DISC MEANS, A CYLINDER HAVING SLOTS NORMALLY RECEIVING SAID TANGS AND A CYLINDER OPENING, SAID PISTON AND ROD SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER, AND A HELICAL SPRING BIASING SAID PISTON AWAY FROM SAID CYLINDER OPENING. 